Joe Fathead BlogJoe Fathead Bloghttp://www.gameinformer.com/blogs/members/b/joe_fathead_blog/atom.aspxCommunity Server2013-06-16T23:07:00ZFavorite Music from The Legend of Zelda/blogs/members/b/joe_fathead_blog/archive/2013/09/01/favorite-music-from-the-legend-of-zelda.aspx2013-09-01T20:23:00Z2013-09-01T20:23:00Z<p>I know, everyone does Zelda blogs. VANNAHFOX is currently writing a kick-butt 31/31 on Zelda. Over exposure?</p>
<p>Ah, screw it.</p>
<p><img border="0" src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/5287.Wind_2D00_Waker_2D00_Tott.png" alt="" /></p>
<p>The Zelda series is easily my favorite in video games. Nothing else comes close. Why might that be?</p>
<p>Zelda games are remarkably well-balanced. You can proceed at your own speed, taking on the next challenge, or spending some down time doing something as mundane as fishing. But, so what?Other games do that. Nothing particularly revelatory there.</p>
<p>Ocarina of Time can be seen as the Citizen Kane of video games - innovations introduced by OoT have been so influential that they are pretty much taken for granted in many games today. Meaning, there are plenty of games that exhibit Zelda pacing, action, story, and on and on. Maybe not as many elements, and maybe not integrated as well, but that&#39;s a topic for another blog.</p>
<p>If I had to pick a single characteristic that makes the franchise stand out, it would be that they excel at creating atmosphere. Gameplay and atmosphere are the two elements that hook me in to a game the most, and atmosphere might be the biggest. And the most important factor in creating atmosphere, in my opinion, is the game&#39;s soundtrack. Koji Kondo&#39;s work is, again in my opinion, the standard to which other game composers must aspire. Dude is just really, really good. And others have made their contributions also.</p>
<p>So, because we all need music, and those reading these blogs choose to game, here is a list of my fave-rave Zelda tunes. I will embed tracks from Youtube (my first foray in video embedding, so cut me some slack). I am choosing extended versions, so you may enjoy them as long as you wish. I find them to be great for computer work.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong><i>Great Deku Tree/Forest Temple</i> from Ocarina of Time</strong></p>
<p>There are a couple parallels with these two pieces. They are the dungeons that start Link on each stage of his adventure, first as a child and then as an adult. They both create a sense of alienation (Link doesn&#39;t quite belong there), the Forest Temple&#39;s more so, appropriately. And they&#39;re both arboreal. Balance, man, balance.</p>
<p>(Please visit the site to view this media)</p>
<p>(Please visit the site to view this media)</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong><i>City in the Sky</i> from Twilight Princess</strong></p>
<p>Ooccoos are...odd. They are a life form that rebels against our sense of normality. So, naturally, the music that plays as you traipse through a city full of them should reinforce that. This track does.</p>
<p>Plus, three of my favorite characters are Zant, Ghirahim, and the Happy Mask Salesman, if that tells you anything.</p>
<p>(Please visit the site to view this media)</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong><i>Midna in Distress</i> from Twilight Princess</strong></p>
<p>The shift in tone, from gung-ho evil destroying to a life in peril, is captured wonderfully. It&#39;s a short loop, but it fits perfectly.</p>
<p>(Please visit the site to view this media)</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong><i>The Earth Temple</i> from Wind Waker</strong></p>
<p>This one is just cool.</p>
<p>(Please visit the site to view this media)</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong><i>Fi&#39;s Farewell</i> from Skyward Sword</strong></p>
<p>Okay, no one likes Fi. I get it. But this is just a nice piece. I found a piano version played by thomandy. Dig it.</p>
<p>(Please visit the site to view this media)</p>
<p>Credit Hajime Wakai and Mahito Yokota.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong><i>Sanctuary Dungeon</i> from A Link to the Past</strong></p>
<p>Makes you feel like you&#39;re in for it.Layers of strings. Ominous. Cool.</p>
<p>(Please visit the site to view this media)</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong><i>Final Hours</i> from Majora&#39;s Mask</strong></p>
<p>I resisted the urge to rank these. That said, if I were to do so, this puppy would be at the top, no questions asked.</p>
<p>MM is the consensus creepiest, saddest, darkest, most melancholy Zelda game. The music is why, and this fella is the capper.</p>
<p>(Please visit the site to view this media)</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Zelda games are full to the brim with great scores. I might change this list tomorrow. If you think I have committed an egregious sin of omission, let me know.</p>
<p>And, I hope these videos have sound, &#39;cause they&#39;re still images otherwise. If I screwed them up, I can add a list of links. Play &#39;em with headphones.</p>
<p>(Checks them out...) Hey, they work. Bueno.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Bonus, in honor of that goofball Zant, the Zant Boss Battle music:</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>(Please visit the site to view this media)</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=4182479" width="1" height="1">Joe Fatheadhttp://www.gameinformer.com/members/Joe-Fathead/default.aspxKinda Sorta Stale Gamer Review: Vol. 3/blogs/members/b/joe_fathead_blog/archive/2013/08/27/kinda-sorta-stale-gamer-review-vol-3.aspx2013-08-27T11:46:00Z2013-08-27T11:46:00Z<p>It is Vol. 3, right? Maybe 2.5. Anyhoo...</p>
<p>I got some suggestions after my last blog that I should give Uncharted 2: Among Thieves a try in an attempt to whittle down my backlog. So that&#39;s what I&#39;m doing. I&#39;m about five hours in (which amounts to roughly three hours in normal gamer time), and have some initial impressions.</p>
<p>I didn&#39;t care for Drake&#39;s Fortune. Maybe I&#39;m spoiled by guns that make things explode (Ratchet &amp; Clank), or fighting with swords and eviscerating exotic monsters (Zelda ad infinitum), but that game didn&#39;t do anything for me. The graphics were swell, but the platforming was too Prince of Persia-ish without adding anything distinctive. The combat didn&#39;t grab me, either. There are plenty who like it, and that&#39;s fine. I&#39;m just not one of them.</p>
<p>I am happy to say that I am finding U2 a more enjoyable experience so far. But I am not ready to canonize it as Game of the Decade just yet.</p>
<p><strong>Graphics/Environments</strong></p>
<p>Okay, everyone is already aware of this, but Naughty Dog knows its way around the PS3 like nobody&#39;s business. Good grief, the environments are well-executed. They&#39;re almost too full at times. I&#39;m currently snooping around in Nepal (I believe), and the city I&#39;m in is a beautiful disaster. ND has packed a ton of color and textures into what is basically a shell of a city. It reminds me of the colorful, bombed out towns in Enslaved, which I found to be a refreshing change from the same ol&#39; gray and brown post-apocalyptic bummer-fests most other games in that vein present. There is so much visual information that I&#39;ve caught myself looking around like a tourist trying to figure out where to go. <i>Do I jump over there? (Falls to his death) Nope. Can I climb that? Nuh-uh. Oooh, that&#39;s pretty. Oh, jump on that first, that shimmy over there, then drop down. Big dummy.</i></p>
<p>The attention to detail is truly impressive. Which makes the uncanny valley all the more pronounced. The current generation of consoles simply cannot handle convincing renderings of the human form. Naughty Dog does it as well as the systems&#39; limitations allow, but their excellence in everything else highlights the kind of creepiness that occurs when digitized people look just that much off. Especially the eyes. They added glints in the eyes of the characters, which are kind of weirding me out, like a robot that is trying to convince me that it&#39;s a real person. That&#39;s actually one of the things I&#39;m looking forward to with the PS4 and Xbox One - I want to see how well they render humans, particularly in a couple years when developers have a solid handle on how the hardware works.</p>
<p>That said, ND did a great job adding little touches that humanize the characters. They did extensive motion capture sessions, having the actors flesh out the scenes live and then transferring them to the game. Very well done.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/0310.Unch-2.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><i>Niiiice. (Get it?)</i></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Sound</strong></p>
<p>Excellent. Sound effects are convincing - so much so that I don&#39;t notice them. But the real star of the show, the element that creates the most immersion in the experience, is the voice acting. The cast is superb, particularly Nolan North as Nathan Drake. His performance feels completely natural and believable. What really does it for me, though, is a specific quality the cast brings to their parts. They make the characters easy to relate to. There is a difference between a hero who looks like he&#39;s chiseled out of granite and is constantly saying profound things in a sonorous voice, and one who does what needs doing while showing vulnerability and a sense of humor. Naughty Dog displays considerable insight here, opting for the latter. Humor breaks down barriers and helps the player get sucked up in the experience. An example: Drake and Chloe - the two main characters - are chasing and being chased through the city in Nepal (sorry, not looking it up), and they are on the top of a building. They hear a loudspeaker announcement to enemy troops that they have been spotted in sector 18. Drake looks at Chloe and says, &quot;I don&#39;t suppose there&#39;s any chance this is sector 19?&quot; Again, attention to detail, and it works really well.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/8662.Unch-2.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><i>Honey, I&#39;m home. What&#39;s for dinner?</i></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Gameplay</strong></p>
<p>For me, this is the big one in any game. Most would no doubt agree, but I am willing to set much aside if a game is simply fun to play. I have to say that the gameplay in Uncharted 2 has yet to distinguish itself. It&#39;s certainly serviceable, by no means bad. But it...it just...it...it&#39;s there, if you get me. Platforming is merely okay. Gun work and armed combat is better than the first Uncharted, but nothing that I&#39;d trip over my own feet rushing back to replay. You are never out of options for weapons, though, which is a good thing. Melee combat is fun, if sparse.</p>
<p>The pacing of U2 is, however, light years ahead of Drake&#39;s Fortune. The first was an exercise in compartmentalization. <i>Now you run. Now you climb. Now you shoot. Now you run. Now you climb. Now you shoot.</i> Stop it already! Among Thieves is waaaay more enjoyable as far as pacing goes. Dog has broken up the flow much better this time, and the game benefits from it immeasurably.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/1033.Unch-2.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><i>BANG! Got you! Got you first! Noyadint!</i></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>I have plenty left in Among Thieves, and I see no reason why I wouldn&#39;t play through to the conclusion, which I did not do in Drake&#39;s Fortune. The craftsmanship of the game is superior to its gameplay, and that will keep me going to the end. That&#39;s saying something. Who knows, maybe the gameplay will take a big leap, and U2 will show me why it&#39;s such a critical darling. On the whole, I tip my electronic cap to Naughty Dog for their exemplary work, and for moving the medium that much more beyond the tired Steroid-Fueled-Super-Soldier-Guns-Down-Marauding-Aliens syndrome.</p>
<p>And I&#39;m not even to the train sequence yet.</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=4078856" width="1" height="1">Joe Fatheadhttp://www.gameinformer.com/members/Joe-Fathead/default.aspxI Could Use Me A Hand/blogs/members/b/joe_fathead_blog/archive/2013/08/19/i-could-use-me-a-hand.aspx2013-08-19T20:12:00Z2013-08-19T20:12:00Z<p>I found something out this weekend. Apparently, gamers like me have a designation. I...am a Softcore Gamer.</p>
<p>I enjoy playing games. They are a great break from the stresses of being an adult (whose idea was that, anyway?). They are an outlet for imagination. And they can be terrific interactive art - funny, thought-provoking, even moving. I just don&#39;t pour the time into them that many do. And I couldn&#39;t care less about meaningless designations or labels, so we&#39;re not sweating that.</p>
<p>However, being a softcore gamer with a collecting bug, I have amassed a sizable backlog. (No, not that kind. Get your mind out of the gutter.) My collection is nothing internet-worthy, just a lot for someone who doesn&#39;t play 40+ hours a week.</p>
<p>So, I&#39;d like to try something, just mess around and see how it goes. I would like to start to make a dent in that list. If any of you are so inclined, please take a look at the following selected titles, and let me know which one you think I should start with. I have left out RPGs or open world games that you can sink over 100 hours into. Start small, and build momentum. I tend to take my time and stretch games out anyway.</p>
<p><i>- Alan Wake</i></p>
<p><i>- Crackdown</i></p>
<p><i>- Folklore</i></p>
<p><i>- Gears of War</i></p>
<p><i>- Metroid Prime</i></p>
<p><i>- Muramasa: The Demon Blade</i></p>
<p><i>- Uncharted 2</i></p>
<p><i>- Vanquish</i></p>
<p>Obviously, that&#39;s just a small selection.</p>
<p>Whaddaya think? Tried to get some variety in there. Which game should I give a go? I&#39;m thinking of writing about the game as I play, or just write another Stale Gamer Review after I finish, with some obtuse rating system.</p>
<p>Thanks in advance.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/3678.demon_5F00_shredder1.png" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><i>I thought &quot;ballot box&quot;, then &quot;shredder&quot;, then this guy shows up</i></p>
<p style="text-align:center;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">Oh, and as a completely unrelated public service, behold the glory that is Flight of the Conchords:</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">www.youtube.com/watch?v=FArZxLj6DLk</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=3966236" width="1" height="1">Joe Fatheadhttp://www.gameinformer.com/members/Joe-Fathead/default.aspxI Think We Should See Other Websites/blogs/members/b/joe_fathead_blog/archive/2013/08/17/i-think-we-should-see-other-websites.aspx2013-08-17T01:21:00Z2013-08-17T01:21:00Z<p style="text-align:center;"><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/1682.Game_5F00_Informer_5F00_Logo.png" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p>Hey, GIO. Thanks for coming over. Come on in.</p>
<p>Listen, we need to talk. We&#39;ve been seeing each other for, what, two years now? What? Oh, sorry, three. Anyway, I...this is so hard...I&#39;ve been feeling...confined lately. I think you&#39;re great, really! I&#39;ve never been with a website like you. You&#39;re honest, you&#39;re sweet, you&#39;re funny sometimes, and you have the most considerate community. But there&#39;s something missing. The fire&#39;s gone. Admit it, you&#39;ve felt it , too. You haven&#39;t? Oh.</p>
<p>Now, don&#39;t get mad, but I have a confession to make. I&#39;ve been...browsing. Those times I was up until three in the morning? Surfing the net. Hey, we never said this was a strict relationship. I&#39;m sorry if you read more into it than that.</p>
<p>Now c&#39;mon, baby. You gotta admit that sometimes you have to mix it up a little. You can&#39;t seriously tell me that you haven&#39;t thought the same thing. What others? Well, there&#39;s this site called IGN. She&#39;s edgy. She makes me feel alive! Sure, she&#39;s a little immature, and her users aren&#39;t nearly as polite as yours. But once in a while you need some spice, you know? Even if it does drive you nuts.</p>
<p>There&#39;s also one called Gamespot. She might seem a little cranky at times, but I think she really cares. And she isn&#39;t nearly as generous with her scores as you are. I guess I just like to be told &quot;No&quot; once in a while.</p>
<p>Oh, and there&#39;s a foreign number called Eurogamer. If things were different, I think you&#39;d like her. She&#39;s erudite, compared to the rest. Her reviews make me think about games differently, like they really mean something. I don&#39;t always understand her, but maybe that&#39;s what attracted me to her.</p>
<p>What&#39;s that? Nintendo Life? Uh, yeah, once in a while. She is not a tramp! She&#39;s just fun-loving. Look, if you&#39;re gonna be like that...</p>
<p>Listen, you know I love ya. But I need air! You can&#39;t keep me caged up, baby! You&#39;ll always be special to me, but I wasn&#39;t made for this. I gotta be free!</p>
<p>We can still be friends, right?</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=3919453" width="1" height="1">Joe Fatheadhttp://www.gameinformer.com/members/Joe-Fathead/default.aspxThe Grateful Dead Effect/blogs/members/b/joe_fathead_blog/archive/2013/08/03/the-grateful-dead-effect.aspx2013-08-03T17:32:00Z2013-08-03T17:32:00Z<p>The Grateful Dead was an important, influential, and much loved American band. They had legions of fans called Dead Heads that followed them around the country, making tapes of their concerts and trading them with each other, as well as partaking in copious quantities of recreational substances. I bought a couple albums of theirs well after their heyday based on that reputation. There&#39;s only one problem: I hate them.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>There are more than a few games that have stellar reputations which I have given a fair shake, but just don&#39;t enjoy. There are entire genres of games that I wanted to like, but, God bless &#39;em, they drive me nuts. We have all heard fellow gamers say nonsense like, &quot;If you don&#39;t like Game X, you&#39;re not a real gamer.&quot; Or, &quot;They have abandoned hardcore gamers.&quot; Well, I would like to put in a word for those of us with whom this attitude doesn&#39;t sit with the utmost comfort.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>I like Action/Adventure games a lot. Platformers, too. Zelda, God of War, Prince of Persia, Ratchet &amp; Clank. I kept reading about how swell Uncharted was. Seemed like it was right up my alley - great graphics, interesting story, platforming. So I got it. Well, the graphics <i>were</i> good. Yep. They were. Especially for an early game in the PS3&#39;s cycle. Naughty Dog is a seriously talented group. Good graphics. Yessiree.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img border="0" src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/22780.image.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><i>Yeah, we made it, Mom. It sure is pretty here.</i></p>
<p style="text-align:center;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">I&#39;m sorry, Uncharted lovers, but I hated that game. Run to an area, shoot enemies, run to another area, shoot more enemies, some light platforming, run to next area. I got about 80% of the way through before I gave it up. I&#39;ve heard that the ending is more interesting, but I couldn&#39;t bring myself to stick it out for a small payoff. I&#39;d rather play Peggle. Much rather, actually.</p>
<p>And Odin Sphere. Cool graphics, great visual style. Boring as all get out. It actually kind of made me mad. Why was everyone twisting themselves into knots praising this thing?</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img border="0" src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/3264.image.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><i>Okay...huh?</i></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>RPGs? Don&#39;t see it. Turn based combat? Gives me hives.</p>
<p>Now, don&#39;t get me wrong here. I&#39;m not going off on popular games to sound like I&#39;m Above What Everyone Else Likes Guy, because that guy is annoying. But, you know what? It&#39;s okay to not like stuff, because there&#39;s lots of stuff out there, and you&#39;ll like some of that. And really, how silly is it to try to convince yourself that you&#39;ll like something just because someone says you should? Or to avoid stuff you&#39;ll like because Internet Guy says you aren&#39;t &quot;hardcore&quot; if you do? You&#39;re allowed to like stuff. And you&#39;re allowed to like more than one kind of stuff. I&#39;m a 46 year old man who loves Kirby&#39;s Epic Yarn. And God of War. And will play Bejeweled. And who sucks at racing games.</p>
<p>So, do yourself a favor: Don&#39;t care. Trust me, you&#39;ll get there eventually, so save yourself some time and start now. Play what&#39;s fun for you, and the honk with the rest. You might just keep your backlog clear of games you &quot;should&quot; play. Unlike mine. Yep. There sits Uncharted 2, on the shelf just to my left.</p>
<p>I really should get around to playing that thing some time. I hear it&#39;s good.</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=3658257" width="1" height="1">Joe Fatheadhttp://www.gameinformer.com/members/Joe-Fathead/default.aspxAlien Invasion Job Interview/blogs/members/b/joe_fathead_blog/archive/2013/07/19/alien-invasion-job-interview.aspx2013-07-19T21:46:00Z2013-07-19T21:46:00Z<p style="text-align:center;"><img border="0" src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/3414.image.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">The scene: Somewhere in the Delta Quadrant.</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">Good &nbsp;morning. How are you today?</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">ARRGUHL SPORG SNAFOO! GRONK IKKSNURGH!</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">Oh, I&#39;m sorry. I forgot to turn on the Universal Translator. <i>*click*</i> There.</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">Good morning. I&#39;m doing well, thank you.</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">Thanks for coming in, Mr...</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">Kragglor, Devourer of Worlds.</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">Now, Mr. Worlds...</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">Please, call me Kragg.</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">Alright, Kragg. As you are aware, our organization is planning a massive invasion of a small class M planet in the Reinus Sector called Earth. It&#39;s rich in natural resources and the only planet in the sector with a breathable atmosphere. It&#39;s ripe for exploitation. However, it&#39;s inhabited by an indigenous species that is self-aware and which we need to subjugate. We have most of our senior invasion staff in place, but we&#39;re still looking for someone to command the first surface assault. Tell me about your experiences in the enslavement of inferior races.</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">Well, I was Away Lieutenant during the Zreelox Domination, Vice-Regent of the Kelgarian Reorganization on Prexlus V, and personally suppressed the Great Skabro Bunny Uprising of 3712.</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">That was you?</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">That was me. Those Bunnies may be cute, but man oh man.</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">Yeah, I&#39;ve heard about them. Now, these Earthers aren&#39;t particularly bright. They only have space travel sufficient to orbit their own planet, and the made it to their moon 1,658 cycles ago, but that was it. However, they do have nuclear technology. This is a potential problem for us. Not from a military standpoint, of course. But if the Earthers attempt to use them on our fleet, they might just destroy the reason we&#39;re going there in the first place - beside the joy of conquest, of course. But Supreme High Councilman and Bringer of Death Randy won&#39;t green light the cost of the invasion if he thinks the planet might be rendered unexploitable. The investors would flip. If you were appointed commander, how would you handle the Earthers&#39; nukes?</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">Well, I think that DIE! DIE! YOU WILL ALL DIE!! Oops. Sorry about that. Sometimes I get a little excited.</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">No, that&#39;s fine. I love the enthusiasm.</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">I think a simple targeted remote strike from just beyond the fourth planet would effectively neutralize their launch sites. Quick, but expensive. We could always go with seed pods, but that takes time, and it isn&#39;t particularly fun. A nice compromise might be to send in the Drillmasters to take them out from below. Then we can go to town.</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">Okay, good answer. <i>*takes a few notes*</i> Would you call yourself a people person?</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">Only if they&#39;re marinated and slow cooked in the juices of the Fizzbin. <i>*both laugh heartily*</i> No, but seriously, I only had to eat three of my crew for insubordination on my last assignment. I run a pretty tight ship.</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">Excellent. Where do you see yourself in five cycles?</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">I love my work, so...(pauses)...I&#39;d have to say sitting on a throne on Earth with the Earthers bringing me native foods and stroking my tentacles with imported Gralk fur.</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">Boy, you and me both. Well, Kragg, I don&#39;t think I need to hear anything else. I have a few more candidates to interview, but I have to say, you&#39;re at the top of my list. Leave a DNA sample with Betty on your way out. Once I finish up, I&#39;ll make my decision and let you know.</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">Sounds great. And thanks again.</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img border="0" src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/7652.image.jpg" alt="" /></p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=3353095" width="1" height="1">Joe Fatheadhttp://www.gameinformer.com/members/Joe-Fathead/default.aspxThe Appeal of Old Games/blogs/members/b/joe_fathead_blog/archive/2013/07/17/the-appeal-of-old-games.aspx2013-07-17T21:35:00Z2013-07-17T21:35:00Z<p style="text-align:left;">Guess what. I&#39;m older than you. You don&#39;t really care, and why should you? Well, relax - I&#39;m &nbsp;not going to wax rhapsodic about how games were better in my day and you kids just don&#39;t understand. I am, however, going to talk a little about the qualities that some of those games possessed that made gaming fun. Just fun. And about one game in particular, one that has a loyal following 20 years after its release.</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/5504.nhl-94.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><i>You know where I&#39;m going with this</i></p>
<p style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">EA, bless their hairy Bumble hides, are releasing the latest iteration of their NHL franchise, NHL 14. I love hockey. Easily my favorite spectator sport, and pretty much the only sport that remains more fun to see in person than at home on your big screen TV and near own bathroom (God, men are nasty creatures. Avoid public men&#39;s rooms at all costs). I&#39;m not going to pretend that I&#39;m a coach or player, but, generally, I understand hockey, its rules written and unwritten. I even know what &quot;icing&quot; is. Hockey fans are some of the most knowledgeable in sports. And generally the most fraternal. There are only a few cities where I would hesitate to wear my team&#39;s gear for fear of my personal safety (*cough* <i>Chicago</i> *cough*). However, hockey can be a little opaque for the uninitiated. It looks for all the world like ten guys skating around randomly, chasing a black disc you can&#39;t see, then stopping for no reason. &quot;Why&#39;d they stop? No one scored. Where&#39;s the puck? What the hell happened?&quot;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">EA has a good schtick going on with their hardcore fans. Release a new game every year with what amount to mostly minor changes, sometimes even steps backward, and they&#39;ll buy them. Which is perfectly fine. Goodness knows I have the collecting bug - my jazz collection alone numbers over some 750 discs, and there are people with waaay more. And my game backlog is literally longer than both my arms and another, unspecified appendage. Spend your money as you see fit, and have a good time. More power to you. But, with the game&#39;s annual release schedule, I feel more and more like that uninitiated fan, because I simply don&#39;t have the time or desire to immerse myself to the degree necessary to keep up. Maybe I&#39;m just not too bright, but the controls for sports games have gotten rather convoluted, and I have yet to be convinced that there would be an adequate return of fun on my investment of time. &quot;Skate with the left stick, tap R2 to deke, hold L1 to juke, pull back on the right stick 32.5% to fake a shot, press R3 to drop pass to the trailing winger, aim with the left stick while in a shooting motion, pull back 75% to shoot. Miss.&quot; What the hell happened?</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">Well, NHL 14 is being sold with an updated, anniversary edition of one of my all-time favorite games: NHL &#39;94. My roommate bought a Sega Genesis system when they were first released, and after playing plenty of Sonic and Ecco the Dolphin, we got NHL &#39;94. There were lots of previous hockey games, but this one got it right. Skate, pass, shoot, hit, and fight. And the one-timer, one of the greatest gameplay advances in gaming history. It was just cool. The AI wasn&#39;t the best, the games against the computer were simply not competitive (although playing a competent buddy really got the blood pressure up), but all that meant was the style of play and the objectives changed. Sure, you were going to win in a cakewalk, but the question became, exactly how much cake was going to get served? And would there be ice cream? And those little pointy hats with the elastic strap that cut into your chin? I discovered and perfected what we called The Move. It was basically an unstoppable shot. You skated in on an angle, with the player&#39;s dominant hand to the outside of the goalie, held the puck in front, then snapped it back to the forehand at the last second and shot. Money. The game allowed you to make custom players and load your favorite team. And you could name them. So, of course, my beloved but long-suffering Sabres had a roster that included such 240 pound immortals as Titus Butticus and Amanda Hugnkiss. This, this was a game that didn&#39;t take itself too seriously, but delivered in spades.</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/4064.image.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><i>See what they do to you in Chicago?</i></p>
<p style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">Now, I know what you&#39;re saying: Where is the fun in playing a game that you basically can&#39;t lose? The fun was in the freedom the game presented. Rules on or off. Lopsided scores. Cathartic, head-opening hits. And getting all worked up because you were sooo close to breaking your personal record for hat tricks in a single game. You felt invested, because you could customize the game, not just play the way the developers told you you could play. Further, such a simple yet addicting style created new gaming fans. You could play against, and get your butt handed to you by, your mother. Try getting mom to play five minutes of Halo, or, heaven forbid, God of War.</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">I love modern games. Stories are more engrossing, and the graphics are superb. The advances continue unabated, and they are mostly great. But the more esoteric they become, the more isolated the gaming world will be from the general public. Not so good. And sometimes, doggone-it, I just want to run roughshod over something. And to compete with myself, not some frustrating final boss that can one-hit kill me. If NHL 14&#39;s NHL &#39;94 mode is anything like the original, with a graphical update, I just might be willing to sell one of my appendages to score it.</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=3313506" width="1" height="1">Joe Fatheadhttp://www.gameinformer.com/members/Joe-Fathead/default.aspxGame/Fame Collisions/blogs/members/b/joe_fathead_blog/archive/2013/07/15/game-fame-collisions.aspx2013-07-15T22:20:00Z2013-07-15T22:20:00Z<p>Drink deeply, you poor stiffs , of my quickie observations regarding when video games cross paths with actual, touchable, nutty-as-a-jay-bird famous people. Then regret that you can never get the time back, and go do something productive.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Burnout:</strong> Lindsay Lohan wraps her career around a tree.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img border="0" src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/8637.image.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><i>That&#39;s Lindsay on the right. See? Your mother wasn&#39;t lying.</i></p>
<p style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><strong>Rock Band / Call of Duty Mashup:</strong> Justin Bieber sings. Please shoot me.</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img border="0" src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/0160.image.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><i>How did Jamie Lee Curtis get in here?</i></p>
<p style="text-align:center;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><strong>Fred Space:</strong> Fred Mertz from I Love Lucy is trapped on the Ishimura, pursued by mutated, bloodthirsty Cuban bandleaders.</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img border="0" src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/0820.image.png" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><i>&quot;Ishi? You got some splainin&#39; to do!</i></p>
<p style="text-align:center;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><strong>Red Dead:</strong> Boris Yeltsin fails to wrangle in those American cowpokes. (Too soon?)</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img border="0" src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/8712.image.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><i>Turn your head and cough, Bill</i></p>
<p style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><strong>Twilight Princess:</strong> Kristen Stewart/Midna? Midna/Kristen Stewart? Am I right?</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img border="0" src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/6507.image.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><i>The Queen of, like, Whatever-Land</i></p>
<p style="text-align:center;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><strong>Mass Effect:</strong> What nine years of Catholic grade school can do to a kid. Just ask Mel.</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img border="0" src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/8468.image.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><i>All I&#39;m sayin&#39; is that you need balance. That&#39;s all I&#39;m sayin&#39;</i></p>
<p style="text-align:center;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><strong>Uncharted:</strong> The tragic turn in Will Smith&#39;s film career.</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img border="0" src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/1537.image.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><i>General Cypher Raige. No, really. Cypher Raige.</i></p>
<p style="text-align:center;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><strong>The Saboteur:</strong> The Paula Deen syndrome.</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img border="0" src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/7485.image.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><i>Real swift, Paula. Have a burger</i></p>
<p style="text-align:center;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><strong>Bioshock:</strong> What happens when you spend a little too much &quot;quality time&quot; with Paris Hilton.</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img border="0" src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/5074.image.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><i>Ya think Jimmy Hoffa is under all that?</i></p>
<p style="text-align:center;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">See what life is like out there? Now go hug your mother.</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=3278540" width="1" height="1">Joe Fatheadhttp://www.gameinformer.com/members/Joe-Fathead/default.aspxNew Games on the Horizon/blogs/members/b/joe_fathead_blog/archive/2013/07/03/games-on-the-horizon.aspx2013-07-03T21:48:00Z2013-07-03T21:48:00Z<p>Xtra word-up supa dope mad homeboy props to codforlife for providing a subject idea that I could steal. Although, why the guy is fixated on fish is beyond me.</p>
<p>I present forthwith games that are in production as we speak. Or, they should be.</p>
<p><strong>Bioshock Allegorica:</strong> Ken Levine sallies forth on educating players concerning the dangers of free market capitalism in a game that draws heavily from the book <i>An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations</i> by Adam Smith. Set in Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the Incas, the protagonist (a Scottish economist named Adam Smith, oddly enough) is beset by a group that calls itself Division of Labor. Nominally a populist military organization, their real agenda is the subjugation of the lower class. Smith must battle the group, while fending off attacks by a mysterious beast called The Invisible Hand. It&#39;s a first person shooter in which Levine gets his point across by having the player kill any NPCs that disagree with Ken Levine. The climax sees Smith confront the leader of Division of Labor on the top of the Incan Pyramid of Efficiency, cryptically asking him how many angels can dance on the head of a pin.</p>
<p>&quot;Will your multiplicity of manufacturing procedures and resultant leisure time save you now?&quot;</p>
<p>BOOM!! </p>
<p>&quot;Guess not.&quot;</p>
<p style="text-align:center;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/1145.image.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><i>Ken Levine has something to say, dammit! Listen to Ken Levine!</i></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>DLC announced to follow: <i>Bioshock Deciduous; Bioshock Coniferous; Bioshock Tempestuous; </i>and<i> The Trials of Alan Alda</i>.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>New Super Marion Bros.:</strong> French actress Marion Cotillard and her sister Louisa romp through 50 levels of challenging platforming fun to rescue Prince Hollande from the clutches of Schnauzer, the rascally German would-be ruler of Quiche Kingdom and its residents, the Frogs. Bounce and bound off famous French landmarks like the Eiffel Tower, the Arch de Triumph, and the McDonald&#39;s in Paris (although you should probably avoid the Ardennes). Hear Marion say funny little foreign phrases like &quot;C&#39;est la mort&quot; when she stomps enemies, and &quot;Sacre Bleu!&quot; when the player loses a life. Alienate video game heroes by acting all snooty and superior and disagreeing with everything they say. Threaten to withdraw your membership from the United Video Games League of you don&#39;t get your way. The possibilities are limitless!</p>
<p>Region locked.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/1464.image.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><i>Jump on it, Marion!</i></p>
<p style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">Other titles to look for:</p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><i>- Marion Soiree Neuf, Wine and Cheese Edition</i></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><i>- Marion vs Donkeaux Kongoisee</i></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><i></i><i>- Marion and Louisa: Schnauzer&#39;s Inside Story</i></p>
<p style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><strong>Call of Duty Black Special Ghost Spartan Pirate Secret War World Frigate Ops 27:</strong>&nbsp;Now with online multiplayer!</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><strong>Obami:</strong> The great spirit of John Maynard Keynes inhabits the President of Nippon as he attempts to rid the land of creeping supply-side darkness. Throw billions of yen at evil spirits. Battle bloated, hideous, limited government bosses. Be rendered impotent by uncooperative allies. IGN calls it &quot;The most fun I&#39;ve had in a game since the &#39;Self-Surgery&#39; series.&quot;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><strong>Tales of Ickia:&nbsp;</strong>RPG in which middle-aged Japanese men finally get to give full rein to their rather disconcerting obsession with underage girls in really short skirts who battle each other over the course of a nubile 100+ hour adventure.&nbsp;Auto-pause enabled, zoom-enhanced, turn-based ogling combat system ensures that every katana strike and heaving bosom can be savored in glorious high definition. Not a minute of the creepy-as-hell action will be missed. There is even a freeze and save option, so you can load your triumphs to view any time you like on your PC, laptop, tablet, smart phone, television, microwave, refrigerator, clock, car windows, dishes, glasses, pets, and burned onto your retinas. Lush, beautifully rendered hand-painted backgrounds mean reviewers will overlook the obvious and drone on and on about how this game is a work of art and that gaming is finally ready to be taken seriously as a legitimate form of expression.</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/8764.image.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><i>It&#39;s all about the gameplay. Riiiiight.</i></p>
<p style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">Release date: Not nearly soon enough.</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">Retail price: Doesn&#39;t matter. You know you&#39;ll pay it.</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=3146699" width="1" height="1">Joe Fatheadhttp://www.gameinformer.com/members/Joe-Fathead/default.aspxMy Top Ten Animals in the Gaming World/blogs/members/b/joe_fathead_blog/archive/2013/07/02/my-top-ten-animals-in-the-gaming-world.aspx2013-07-02T22:30:00Z2013-07-02T22:30:00Z<p>I dig critters. Call me a misanthrope, but I prefer the company of animals to that of humans eleven times out of ten. The digital world is no exception. So, because precisely nobody asked, here is my list of fave-raves. They&#39;re only in order because that&#39;s how this kind of thing works.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size:small;">10. Jabu Jabu</span></strong></p>
<p>How many people do you know who can say they had a bioelectric anemone in their stomach?</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/5126.image.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><i>Best dressed giant god-like fish thingy on the block</i></p>
<p style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><strong><span style="font-size:small;">9. That Smart-a** dog from Duck Hunt</span></strong></p>
<p style="text-align:left;">You gots to respect a dog that will laugh in your face. Or not.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/7534.image.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><i>Do it! He&#39;s not real. Do it!</i></p>
<p style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><strong><span style="font-size:small;">8. Ratchet</span></strong></p>
<p style="text-align:left;">Alright, anthropomorphised animals count. It&#39;s my list, anyway. Plus, he has cool weapons. And candy. He&#39;s gotta have candy. I mean, just look at him. Yeah, he&#39;s got candy.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/3312.image.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><i>Ratchet teaches us the value of friendship. And weapons. And candy. He has candy, right?</i></p>
<p style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><strong><span style="font-size:small;">7. Yoshi</span></strong></p>
<p style="text-align:left;">Because if you don&#39;t like Yoshi, you&#39;re some kind of weird commie from Mars.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/2273.image.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><i>Don&#39;t be a Martian commie</i></p>
<p style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><strong><span style="font-size:small;">6. Reggie Fils-Aime</span></strong></p>
<p style="text-align:left;">&#39;Cause he&#39;s a big cuddly teddy bear.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/8228.image.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><i>See? A bear. Cuddly.</i></p>
<p style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><strong><span style="font-size:small;">5. Sonic the Hedgehog</span></strong></p>
<p style="text-align:left;">From the first Sonic game. 32 bits of cooool.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/0045.image.png" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><i>&quot;Are you looking at me?&quot;</i></p>
<p style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><strong><span style="font-size:small;">4. Kratos</span></strong></p>
<p style="text-align:left;">Because you could pretend that gorgon was your annoying coworker who won&#39;t shut the hell up and is always trying to be your friend even though he&#39;s kind of creepy and you have nothing in common and he just won&#39;t stop so you vicariously rip his guts out and then tear his head off so you won&#39;t ever have to hear his voice again except in your recurring nightmares that therapy at $250.00 a damn hour doesn&#39;t begin to touch.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/0508.image.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><i>Phew...</i></p>
<p style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><b><span style="font-size:small;">3. Epona</span></b></p>
<p style="text-align:left;">Epona, like, totally has your back.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/2728.image.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><i>Except, what the hell is this all about?</i></p>
<p style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><b><span style="font-size:small;">2. Amaterasu</span></b></p>
<p style="text-align:left;">The protagonist in a game that actually rivals Zelda. Whoa.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/4846.8.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><i>Check &#39;er OUT! Yeeeah, boyeeee!</i></p>
<p style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><strong><span style="font-size:small;">1. Agro</span></strong></p>
<p style="text-align:left;">The steed from Shadow of the Colossus. <strong>Code orange spoiler alert!</strong> If you don&#39;t want a sniff of story in a game you haven&#39;t played, but might, don&#39;t read on. Because I give a whiff.</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">Agro exhibits a trait that elicited a reaction that I rarely have to a game. Games are fiction, but Agro&#39;s sacrifice for her master was quite touching. Wander follows a selfish path to his own destruction, taking Agro with him. But she still saves him. That&#39;s what faithful companions do.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/4628.image.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><i>Give that horse a cookie, you big dummy</i></p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=3136421" width="1" height="1">Joe Fatheadhttp://www.gameinformer.com/members/Joe-Fathead/default.aspxInterviews With the Greats: Eustev Pawloski/blogs/members/b/joe_fathead_blog/archive/2013/06/30/interviews-with-the-greats-eustev-pawloski.aspx2013-06-30T14:10:00Z2013-06-30T14:10:00Z<p style="text-align:left;">Eustev Pawloski, the star of Pong, was a seminal figure in video game history. I was granted an interview with the enigmatic and reclusive figure, who talked at length about emigrating to America, the earliest games, and the personalities involved who launched the multi-billion dollar industry we take for granted today. Pawloski is opinionated and not afraid to ruffle some feathers.</p>
<p>I called on Pawloski at his home in Palo Alto, CA.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/3362.image.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><i>The legend at work</i></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Joe Fathead:</strong> Mr. Pawloski, it&#39;s a privilege to meet you. I know how guarded you are about your privacy, so I really appreciate you making the time for this interview.</p>
<p><strong>Eustev Pawloski:</strong> That&#39;s alright.</p>
<p><strong>JF:</strong> Now, you&#39;re originally from Poland...</p>
<p><strong>EP:</strong> That&#39;s correct.</p>
<p><strong>JF:</strong>&nbsp;How did you come to America?</p>
<p><strong>EP:</strong> Well, Poland took a long time to adjust to the Industrial Revolution. They lagged behind Western Europe for quite a few years. My father was a circuit breaker in a burlesque theater, and my mother was a stage lighting fixture.</p>
<p><strong>JF:</strong> Is that where they met?</p>
<p><strong>EP:</strong> Yes. My father had seen my mother during a performance shortly after she had been brought in. He always said she made the brightest light on the stage. One night, there was a lightning strike, and my father cut off the power just in time and saved the whole row of stage lights. That was his chance to introduce himself, and she fell for him right off. They got married, and when they were expecting me, they decided that a seedy burlesque theater - as much as they loved it - was no place to raise a kid. Of course everyone knew that America was the land of opportunity, so they packed up and made their way to England, where they stowed away in a steam-liner&#39;s fuse box on its way to the U.S. When they got here, they headed for Times Square. For an electrical device, Times Square was the place to be. They had to start at the bottom, but they knew there would be a better chance for me here than in Poland.</p>
<p><strong>JF:</strong> What was your early life in the States like?</p>
<p><strong>EP:</strong> Well, there was quite a bit of tension between me and my parents. I became enamored of movie theaters, while my folks were a little more old fashioned. My dad thought I should take a job in a nice, reliable marquee, but I had stars in my eyes. I heard more than once about the sacrifices they made to get me here, and that I should respect that and abide by their wishes. But I was having none of it. I left. Broke my mother&#39;s diode.</p>
<p><strong>JF:</strong> What did you do?</p>
<p><strong>EP:</strong> Well, I had heard of this company called Atari, which was experimenting with making electronic games. As I had no other leads, I was off to California. Pretty ballsy move, but I was young and stupid. I marched my sorry butt right into their headquarters and asked for a job. There was this guy named Allan Alcorn who was a whiz at that stuff. He was working on a secret project that Nolan Bushnell gave him, that he frankly swiped from a company called Magnavox. It was supposed to be a training exercise, but Alcorn couldn&#39;t understand the layouts Bushnell gave him. So he scrapped them, and made them better. It was a tennis game, and Alcorn was looking for someone to play the part of the ball. Being a little white square myself, it was a perfect fit. He hired me on the spot, and the rest is history.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/6305.image.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><i>Gaming simplicity: Two dials and a quarter slot</i></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>JF:</strong> How was it working for Atari?</p>
<p><strong>EP:</strong> Pretty good. Nolan and Al were cool, and Pong was a smash hit beyond what anyone thought possible. I was a star overnight. But that led to some problems.</p>
<p><strong>JF:</strong> What kind of problems?</p>
<p>Here Pawloski paused. He sat back, lit a cigarette, and took a couple puffs before he answered.</p>
<p><strong>EP:</strong> You have to remember the culture at the time.The 60s had recently ended, and there was a serious national hangover. The Beatles just broke up, and Yoko Ono was in the headlines for some God-forsaken reason. People were moving from optimism to big time disappointment, and there were drugs everywhere. I was in bars every night, and I had quarters coming out of my a**. Of course something was gonna happen. After Pong was introduced to people&#39;s homes, I became richer than someone with my level of maturity could possibly handle. The game went from tennis to hockey, four paddles, all that. But it was still about me. They were nothing without me. I began partying, and got into booze, cocaine, and loose electrons. It got ugly for a while. Friggin&#39; cliche.</p>
<p><strong>JF:</strong> How did you get out?</p>
<p><strong>EP:</strong> I crashed, man. Just crashed. Atari released the 2600 console, and just like that I was yesterday&#39;s news. I should have saved money, had a damned investment adviser or something, but I thought it would last forever. Most of what I earned either went up my nose, down my throat, or to the sharks. You find out pretty damn quick who your real friends are when you got no money left, and it turns out I had none. I was forced to detox because I couldn&#39;t buy nothing. Saved my life, though.</p>
<p><strong>JF:</strong> You seem to be doing well, now. This is a very nice home.</p>
<p><strong>EP:</strong> Speaking tours. The nostalgia circuit works pretty well - just ask the Rolling Stones. I&#39;ll never be rich like I was, but that suits me fine, &#39;cause I don&#39;t want it again. But it turns out people still want to hear about how it all got started. Ain&#39;t no Call of Duty without me. And that whole multiplayer thing? You&#39;re looking at it, kid.</p>
<p><strong>JF:</strong> Would you do it again?</p>
<p><strong>EP:</strong> Knowing what I know now? I&#39;d say yes, except I keep thinking about my mother. I don&#39;t know, man. I don&#39;t know.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Pawloski had much more to say. The full interview sees him talk about Steve Jobs (doesn&#39;t like him), Electronic Arts (doesn&#39;t like it), and Game Informer Magazine (can take it or leave it). He also documents his reactions to Breakout, the proliferation of &quot;Super&quot; games, and his relationships with the stars of Space Invaders and Centipede. Look for it in the August issues of Playboy and Better Homes and Gardens magazines.</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=3111933" width="1" height="1">Joe Fatheadhttp://www.gameinformer.com/members/Joe-Fathead/default.aspxVG Hall of Fame Vol. I: Mario/blogs/members/b/joe_fathead_blog/archive/2013/06/28/vg-hall-of-fame-vol-i-mario.aspx2013-06-28T01:14:00Z2013-06-28T01:14:00Z<p style="text-align:left;">There have been many stellar players in the Video Game League (VGL), but only a few have earned the right to be called Super Stars. Because we have nothing better to do, we profile a few of them for your amusement. We assume that, because you&#39;re reading this, you have nothing better to do, either.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img border="0" src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/6685.image.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><strong>Mario &quot;Jumpman&quot; Abrimowicz</strong></p>
<p style="text-align:left;">Career Statistics:</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">BA (Bonking Average): .372</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">Hits: 2,148,319</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">GBI (Goombas Batted In): 129,486</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">In Base Percentage: .648</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">Slugging Percentage: .590</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">Mario Abrimowicz was inducted into the Video Game Hall of Fame on January 19, 2003.</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">Abrimowicz was truly a pioneer in the VGL. He was the first Italian player admitted, and only the third player of European descent, following Eustev Pawloski of Poland - that little white square from Pong - and Natalie Borscht from Ukraine, better known as Ms. Pacman.</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">Abrimowicz&#39;s big break came in the Summer of 1980, when he was spotted shagging bob-ombs in a local rec league in Cincinnati by legendary manager Shigeru Miyamoto. Miyamoto signed him to a contract the next day, and Abrimowicz made his major league debut in 1981 opposite fellow Hall of Famer Donkey Kong. &quot;He was a bit of a prima donna back then,&quot; recalls Kong, &quot; demanding his own trailer and Japanese bottled water. But I think that might have been because he was insecure. He was carrying a lot of responsibility, you know, and his first game was pretty high profile.&quot; It&#39;s possible the sports world will never see a pairing of that magnitude again.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img border="0" src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/8666.image.png" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><i>The Game</i></p>
<p style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">Abrimowicz is regarded by his fellow competitors as a team player, but also as something of a quirky guy, even an oddball. Says journeyman VGL fielder Kirby Pinkerton, &quot;I remember him arriving for opening day of the 1990 season dressed as a raccoon, for Pete&#39;s sake. The fellas gave him a serious ribbing for that, until we saw the little b*stard jump. He was getting powerups we couldn&#39;t even see. Never seen anything like it before.&quot; He is also known for his on-field chatter, frequently using phrases like &quot;Just what I needed,&quot; &quot;Okee-dokee,&quot; and &quot;Here we goooooo!&quot; While this endears him to fans, it can be an irritant to teammates. Says legendary DS (Designated Shooter) Master Chief, &quot;If I hear that little runt shout &#39;Mama-mia&#39; one more time, I&#39;m gonna go all Covenant on his a**!&quot;</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img border="0" src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/5633.image.png" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><i>The Suit</i></p>
<p style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">There was some controversy surrounding Abrimowicz&#39;s Hall of Fame ballot. Because his career stats are unparalleled, the fact that the vote wasn&#39;t unanimous raised a few eyebrows. The lone dissenting vote was cast by longtime Abrimowicz foil Bowser Spinkenshell. More than a few columnists suggested that Spikenshell&#39;s &quot;No&quot; vote was motivated by his personal dislike for Abrimowicz. &quot;There is no place in the Hall for partiality,&quot; said then induction supervisor Gordon Freeman. &quot;Objectivity is essential to maintaining the dignity and integrity of the process. If you are incapable of setting aside personal feelings, then maybe you shouldn&#39;t have a vote.&quot; When asked about his vote, Bowser merely laughed a sinister baritone laugh, backed by a short, ominous musical accompaniment.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img border="0" src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/0042.image.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><i>The Malcontent</i></p>
<p style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">While Abrimowicz&#39;s numbers are without equal and his legacy is assured, he says his greatest frustration is that he has never been able to make it past first base with Princess Peach. &quot;I-a mean, how-a many times do I have-a to save-a da girl? Maybe I should-a just a-let Bowser a-keep her next-a time.&quot;</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=3088966" width="1" height="1">Joe Fatheadhttp://www.gameinformer.com/members/Joe-Fathead/default.aspxGame Characters' Second Jobs/blogs/members/b/joe_fathead_blog/archive/2013/06/21/game-characters-39-second-jobs.aspx2013-06-21T21:23:00Z2013-06-21T21:23:00Z<p>The economy being what it still is, many prominent video game personalities have had to supplement their incomes with a little moonlighting. Here&#39;s a list of digital folks who have put their experiences to good use. Or, you know, not.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Kratos:</strong> Chiropractor.</p>
<p>Kratos uses his significant knowledge of anatomy to relieve patients of their pain.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><img border="0" src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/3821.image.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><i>You may feel a little pressure</i></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Link:</strong> Speech therapist.</p>
<p>&#39;Cause he&#39;s a good listener. That makes sense, right?</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img border="0" src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/7266.image.png" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><i>Nothing creepy about a kid who looks like this and doesn&#39;t talk. Ever.</i></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Gordon Freeman:</strong> Carnival barker. As far from theoretical physicist as possible, because that worked out so well...</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img border="0" src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/3515.image.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><i>Nice going, Gordo</i></p>
<p style="text-align:center;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><strong>Sackboy:</strong> Rosin bag</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><img border="0" src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/4718.image.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><i>No, don&#39;t let Mr. Sluggo pitch this inning NOOOOOOOOO!!!!</i></p>
<p style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><strong>Monkey:</strong> Etiquette advisor</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><img border="0" src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/7462.image.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><i>Yeah, this guy knows what a finger bowl is</i></p>
<p style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><strong>That Faceless, Nameless, First Person Shooter Guy:</strong> Assembly line worker</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><img border="0" src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/5123.image.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><i>Because there&#39;s nothing like doing the same thing over...and over...and over deargodmakeitstop!</i></p>
<p style="text-align:center;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><strong>Ico:</strong> Tour guide</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><img border="0" src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/2437.image.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><i>&quot;C&#39;mon! We got some climbing to do. You&#39;ll love it!&quot;</i></p>
<p style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><strong>Fallout Guy:</strong> Interior decorator</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><img border="0" src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/1401.image.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><i>&quot;Hey, this gives me an idea for the master bedroom.&quot;</i></p>
<p style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><strong>Okami/Amaterasu:</strong> Fire dog</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><img border="0" src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/0066.image.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><i>Do you smell something? &#39;Cause I smell something</i></p>
<p style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">Finally, <strong>Burnout </strong>driver: Mulch</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><img border="0" src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/3443.image.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><i>Yeah, that&#39;s not gonna last</i></p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=3041444" width="1" height="1">Joe Fatheadhttp://www.gameinformer.com/members/Joe-Fathead/default.aspxReligion and Video Games/blogs/members/b/joe_fathead_blog/archive/2013/06/20/religion-and-video-games.aspx2013-06-20T21:52:00Z2013-06-20T21:52:00Z<p><img border="0" src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/0246.image.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>I was reading a book about a popular and good-at-one-time band yesterday, concerning their relationship with mainstream religious establishment-type folks. My mind went all over the place, as it is wont to do, and one stop was at the video game station. A couple conceptual passengers alighted, which I&#39;d like to mess around with here. I&#39;ll probably ramble some. Your kind indulgence.</p>
<p>Fret not, fair reader. Herein is not an attempt to proselytize for this faith or that. Believe as you wish, or not at all. The existence or not of a Supreme Being and our relationship to he/she/it is well beyond the scope of this post. Neither is it my aim to belittle any faith.</p>
<p>Some slight personal history: I was raised in a religious environment, and stayed in some manifestation of same for decades. Mainstream Catholicism and Protestantism were the brands of choice, whether mine or my parents&#39;. I say this only to give context - my thinking was of course shaped significantly by those experiences, good and bad. &nbsp;Whether I would have it so, I view the world through the lenses given to me by others, then through my analysis of those lenses. As we all do, natch.</p>
<p>The notion that intrigued me was, why, given that many, many people express some form of religious conviction as integral to their lives, do we not see more examples of those convictions presented in games? Belief is a big deal, and video games are big business. Plenty of examples in movies. Plenty of examples in television. Artists in most media have explored their faith publicly. Why the dearth in gamer culture. Or am I way off in my perception?</p>
<p>By religious subjects, I mean more than the mere appearance of gods and angels and demons. I mean faith in a higher power that leads humanity to act in certain ways and do certain things. We set aside our best interests for the good of others. We make sacrifices. We strive to do good (or evil?), because we believe in something bigger than ourselves. And, of course, mortality and what happens next.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><img border="0" src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/7028.image.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><i>Spiritual experience, or serious acid trip?</i></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>One can cite many games that have religious imagery. But, I would contend, not so many that actually address religious issues. El Shaddai is replete with Aprocryphal images. That&#39;s its point, after all. But the game, as cool as it is and as much as I dig the art style, is, at its core, a beat-em-up/platformer. God of War is set in the world of Greek mythology. Gods and demons all over the place. But it&#39;s a setting, an excuse for the gamer to eviscerate powerful deities and spill gallons of blood. Very cathartic, but not exactly ecclesiastical. &quot;But Mr. Fathead,&quot; you say, &quot;GoW explores the concepts of revenge and the self-destructive path it sets one on, leading through the darkness to redemption in the end.&quot; Maybe. But do we play it for that reason? Hell no.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img border="0" src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/0245.image.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><i>Kratos on his way to church</i></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Developers like Ken Levine and Thatgamecompany are attempting to push the envelope of the video game medium. They confront racism, class distinction, peace and life and death. However, do we want them to? Sales figures would suggest the answer might be yes. But traditional FPSs sell gazillions more than Bioshock or Journey (Bioshock being no slouch, mind you).</p>
<p>The Legend of Zelda series uses overtly religious symbolism. The three goddesses, a creation myth, good versus evil on a grand scale, good overcoming evil against seemingly overwhelming odds. The hero makes sacrifices for the others. A contender?</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><img border="0" src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/8032.image.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><i>Who&#39;s yer daddy, Ahriman?</i></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The Prince of Persia game from 2008 - the one with Elika - plumbs those depths more than most games I can recall offhand-like. The roots of the story lie in Zoroastrianism, an Iranian religion that predated Judaism and thus Christianity, as well as Islam. It shares many similarities with these faiths. Existence is in balance, the god of light and creation, Ahura Mazda (Ormazd), in constant conflict with the spirit of darkness and destruction, Ahriman. The Prince and Elika battle the released Ahriman, who is intent on ruling all. The game is basically about light and darkness, destiny and free will. What will we do to get what we want? You know, life stuff.</p>
<p><b>Edit:</b> It has been correctly pointed out that Zoroastrianism does not in fact predate Judaism. In addition to the mea culpa issued in the comments, I apologize for such a gross misrepresentation. A good rap on the knuckles with a wooden ruler for me.</p>
<p>Video games are a still growing medium. Art forms such as film have a leg up on games, and game developers and writers are only relatively recently attempting to expand the gaming palette to a great degree. But do we want them to? And how far will we want them to go?</p>
<p>I&#39;m just thinking out loud here. What do you think? Are the teachings of religious faiths something you&#39;d like to see explored in games more often? Or are you content with the pleasure of games as entertainment, as fun distraction? It&#39;s a big fat world out there, and there&#39;s room for lots of perspectives. One is not necessarily right and the other wrong. I hold that, as in other media, having many options is a very good thing. Sometimes I like to listen to the Rolling Stones, sometimes Bach. Sometimes I like games that make me think, and sometimes I just wanna blow sh*t up.</p>
<p>Correct me, tell me I&#39;m full of it, add, subtract. Just don&#39;t divide.</p>
<p>Thanks.</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=3037001" width="1" height="1">Joe Fatheadhttp://www.gameinformer.com/members/Joe-Fathead/default.aspxGames that...understand me. (sniff)/blogs/members/b/joe_fathead_blog/archive/2013/06/16/games-that-understand-me-sniff.aspx2013-06-16T23:07:00Z2013-06-16T23:07:00Z<p>Ever feel that the people you work with just don&#39;t get it? That your family talks about you behind your back? That your wife thinks you&#39;re nuts? Well, thank God for video games! There is someone in the world that understands me after all and gives me what I need to remain emotionally stable, even if it is a group of 75 people laboring at computers in another state whom I will never meet or with whom I will not once exchange furtive glances.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:&#39;arial black&#39;, &#39;avant garde&#39;;">Burnout Revenge</span></span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><img border="0" src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/3441.burnout_5F00_revenge_2D00_wide.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><i><strong>Revenge is Paradise </strong>(See what I did there?)</i></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>This magnificent beast was my introduction to the world of Burnout. I kind of suck at racing games. When I start to lose it to one side or the other of the lane, I invariably over-correct and bounce around like Paris Hilton at a bachelor&#39;s convention. But, when I realized that the point of this game was not only to win, but to cause as much mayhem and destruction to your rivals as possible along the way, I became apoplectic with glee. Creeping up on an AI racer, then slamming him into the wall and drinking deep of the slow-motion crash, glittering shrapnel and glistening glass filling the screen, is better than a peaceful snowfall on a crisp winter morning. Save the Princess? Save the world? Please. I&#39;ve got better things to do.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:&#39;arial black&#39;, &#39;avant garde&#39;;">inFAMOUS</span></span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><img border="0" src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/0334.image.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><i><strong>Note color of electricity</strong></i></p>
<p style="text-align:center;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">I started inFAMOUS because I thought it would be cool. Superhero, fun electrical powers, swell graphics. Good reviews, too. Then I was given the opportunity to deny the hungry residents of Empire City the food they desperately needed. I was hooked, baby!&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">As I powered Cole up, gaining ever stronger abilities which I could unleash on my fellow citizens, catharsis after catharsis followed. Running through the streets blasting everything out of my path with shockwaves was bliss, while the exclamation point of the Thunder Drop sent a satisfying thud resonating through my soul. The sorry b*stards never saw it coming.</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:&#39;arial black&#39;, &#39;avant garde&#39;;">Ratchet &amp; Clank: Going Commando</span></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><img border="0" src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/8272.image.jpeg" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong><i>It got blowed up real good</i></strong></p>
<p style="text-align:center;">&nbsp;</p>
<p>Another ode to escalating destruction, with a sense of humor to boot. Going Commando was the first one I played, and it clicked quickly. The point of R&amp;C might be to save the galaxy, but don&#39;t hold that against them. The games are an exercise in creating mighty weapons that would make Halliburton drool with envy. Lobbing a hand held nuclear device into a group of aliens or vaulting a fully powered charge from the plasma launcher and watching it fry scores of protopets is as satisfying as it gets. Insomniac wasn&#39;t too worried about breaking the Fourth Wall, either.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:&#39;arial black&#39;, &#39;avant garde&#39;;">God of War</span></span></strong></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:&#39;arial black&#39;, &#39;avant garde&#39;;"><img border="0" src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/7522.image.jpg" alt="" /></span></span></strong></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-size:small;"><i>Tear it up, Big K</i></span></span></strong></p>
<p style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><strong><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-size:small;">Ever play a God of War game? Alrighty then.</span></span></strong></p>
<p style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><strong><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:&#39;arial black&#39;, &#39;avant garde&#39;;">Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess</span></span></span></span></strong></p>
<p style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><strong><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-size:small;"><img border="0" src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/8080.image.png" alt="" /></span></span></strong></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-size:small;"><i>Here come the judge</i></span></span></strong></p>
<p style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><strong><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-size:small;">Everyone likes Zelda games, right? They tell the tale of the heroic quest, of maturing into a person of character beyond reproach, of sacrifice for the greater good.</span></span></strong></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><strong><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-size:small;">Nah. Zant.</span></span></span></strong></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><strong><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-size:small;">(Spoilerish): Zant is a straight up wacko. He gives the impression early on of being a typical Machiavellian guy out to subjugate the world, albeit a little creepier than most. Then you hear his story and fight him late in the game. The veil drops, and his insecure, psychotic nature is revealed. Zant is the dude in seventh grade that got mercilessly picked on, only to find he has been granted power by the terrible, evil, all-destroying science teacher, and he&#39;s ready to throw down. But he never grew up. The tantrum he throws trying to kill you is poetic.</span></span></span></strong></p>
<p style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><strong><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:&#39;arial black&#39;, &#39;avant garde&#39;;">Kirby&#39;s Epic Yarn</span></span></span></span></strong></p>
<p style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-size:small;"><img border="0" src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-78-27-77-Attached+Files/1106.image.jpg" alt="" /></span></span></strong></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-size:small;"><i>Awww...</i></span></span></strong></p>
<p style="text-align:center;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><strong><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-size:small;">Just look at him. He&#39;s so damn cute!</span></span></strong></p>
<p style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><strong><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-size:small;">Well, that&#39;s the list, games that make me feel like I belong. Like there is a place for me in this confusing, oft cruel world. Like the money was well spent.</span></span></strong></p>
<p style="text-align:left;">Do me a favor: don&#39;t tell my therapist. The guy has me on a short leash.</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=3008167" width="1" height="1">Joe Fatheadhttp://www.gameinformer.com/members/Joe-Fathead/default.aspx